A Life Worth Living
by xxxjoxxx
Summary: MerDer AU. When you look back on your life, if you can say that you've loved another with your whole heart, then that was a life worth living.
1. Chapter 1

A Life Worth Living

 **AN: Hello and welcome to my new story! As I explained at the end of FTB, it's AU (but not drastically so) and loosely based on a famous book/movie. I don't want to give too much away so I'll let you get to reading it :)**

 **Points to note: All text in normal type is set in 2057 whilst everything in italics is flashbacks so to speak with 2057 Derek telling the story…it'll make sense as you read! For the purposes of this story, Meredith and Lexie are full sisters (Ellis is their mom) and Meredith is 18 in the first flashback whilst Lexie is 17. There's a four year age gap between MerDer and so Derek and Mark start off being 22.**

 **I'm enjoying writing this so I hope you like it :)**

 **Disclaimer: anything recognisable is obviously not mine.**

Seattle, May 2057:

Derek Shepherd ran a hand through his thick dark grey hair, trying to tame his wild curls that had been a distinguishing feature of his appearance right from childhood through to old age. At 90 years old, the years had been kind to him. His sparkly blue eyes, charming nature, and of course the hair, helped him sweet talk the nurses in the care home. They would often tease him about how he was a favourite amongst the female residents. He found it amusing but he wasn't in the slightest bit bothered because as had been the case for his entire adult life, there was and always would be only one woman in his heart. He'd had an illustrious career as a neurosurgeon and was not short of awards or accolades, but his greatest achievement was not winning a Harper Avery, or even developing pioneering new surgical treatments. No. His greatest achievement was that he had loved another with his whole heart.

Straightening the collar on his navy button down he smiled at his reflection before picking up a well worn notebook from his nightstand and making his way down the corridor, just as he did every day. He had a feeling that today would be a good day. He stopped outside a room and watched for a few moments as the woman inside spoke warily to the nurse who was trying unsuccessfully to coax her into going for a walk.

"Hello" he greeted softly, smiling as he took a few cautious steps into the room so as not to startle her.

The nurse walked over to him and smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry, it's not a good day. I don't think she's up for anything."

Derek felt a stab of disappointment, but only for a second – he was well known for his determined nature and unyielding optimism. That optimism was rewarded when the woman contradicted the nurses opinion and cautiously returned his greeting.

"Hello"

Tilting his head he smiled what in his younger days would have been termed his 'McDreamy smile'.

"This is Shep, he's going to read to you" the nurse told the woman, pleasantly surprised at her change of mood.

"Read?"

"Mmmhmm"

The woman regarded Derek apprehensively, feeling drawn to him but not totally convinced. "No…I don't know…"

"Oh come on" the nurse encouraged kindly, "you'll like him, he's very funny."

As he smiled and nodded in agreement with the nurse, the woman regarded him closely as if trying to decide if he could be trusted.

Derek let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding as she walked over to him and took his arm as he led her to the sun room.

With his hand lightly on her back he guided her over to a chair and sat down in the one next to hers. As she looked at him expectantly he smiled before opening the notebook he'd been carrying. "Alright then, where did we leave off?...Oh, yeah, yeah – it was the night of the carnival. Derek was there with his friend Mark."

"Derek?" the woman asked. The name sounded familiar to her but she couldn't quite place it.

"It was the night that they met – June 30th 1989. Mer was 18 years old."

 _Derek had arrived back home in Seattle yesterday, along with his childhood friend Mark after they'd spent the last four years away at Bowdoin doing pre-med. Since the age of eight they'd seemed to do everything together and now having been all through grade school and then college together they were back in their home town for the summer before beginning medical school at the prestigious University of Washington, right here in Seattle. They'd finished their final college exams less than a week ago and Derek was immensely glad to have a few months off where he could just relax and not have to think about studying or cramming for finals._

 _Seattle had a carnival every summer at Elliott Bay Marina and Derek along with his family and Mark had came every year when they were growing up. Him and Mark hadn't been for a couple of years due to living on the East coast and Mark had insisted they come this year for the sake of tradition. Derek had always enjoyed the carnival as it brought back fond memories of his childhood, so he'd agreed. He wasn't buying Mark's reasoning though – he was pretty sure it had something to do with Lexie, a girl Mark had met yesterday when her and her family had moved in across the street from his parents' house, having told him that she was coming here._

 _Derek rolled his eyes in amusement at having been right about Mark when as they leant on the gate for the bumper cars, Mark called out 'Lexie!' and winked at a smiling brown haired girl in one of the cars. He looked between the two of them and laughed at Mark's shameless attempts to attract her attention. When the car turned though he caught sight for the first time of the other occupant in the car and his breath caught in his throat. He tracked her every movement with his eyes and watched as she threw her head back in laughter, her long honey blonde hair framing her delicate face and her emerald green eyes sparkling in delight. If there was one thing he was sure of in his life, it was that he needed to know this girl._

 _"Who's that with Lexie?" he asked Mark without tearing his eyes from her._

 _"That's Meredith Grey - Lexie's sister."_

 _'Meredith' – he smiled as he repeated her name in his head. He decided it suited her perfectly as he watched her with a look of wonder on his face._

 _It was only when the ride ended and Mark hurried over to meet them that Derek snapped out of his trance. He jogged over to the group where Mark was already flirting up a storm with Lexie. Taking a deep breath for courage, he stepped out from behind Mark and towards the girl who had enraptured him in the space of five minutes. "Would you like to dance with me?" As soon as he'd said the words he immediately regretted them and berated himself for his lameness and stupidity. Yes he'd love nothing more than to have Meredith in his arms, and yes there was music playing and people were slow dancing around them, but the little fact remained that he didn't dance – he couldn't dance._

 _Meredith regarded Derek curiously. He was undeniably attractive – very attractive, what with his ridiculously perfect raven curls, sparkling indigo eyes and toned physique. The cocky smile on his face told her he'd caught her checking him out and that he was probably used to girls falling at his feet. "No."_

 _"Why not?" Derek shot back, refusing to be phased by her rejection. He'd never been one to give up easily._

 _"Because I don't want to." Meredith emphasised her point with a scowl._

 _Derek couldn't help but chuckle – she was adorably cute when she was annoyed._

 _Meredith rolled her eyes at Derek's amusement. Linking her arm through Lexie's she pulled her away from the two men as she began walking. "Come on Lexie – the Harrison's are having a party on their yacht."_

 _Derek watched as the two sisters walked away towards the dock. He wasn't giving up – he needed to get to know Meredith Grey._

 _"That's Derek Shepherd – he's Mark's best friend. They're going to Washington for med school in the fall" Lexie supplied._

 _Meredith glanced back over her shoulder and green met blue as she found him stood in the exact same position staring right back at her._

 _"I think he likes you" Lexie smirked when Meredith tore her gaze away._

 _Meredith just rolled her eyes but a smile tugged at her lips as she pulled Lexie faster towards an impressive looking yacht with music blaring from it._

 _Derek followed Meredith's every step with his eyes until she boarded the yacht and then with a confidence he definitely didn't feel, he grabbed Mark and made his way over to the same yacht._

 _Looking up he saw Meredith and Lexie laughing and chatting with a couple of other girls up on deck. "Come on" he told Mark before climbing aboard. Never one to say no to a party, Mark didn't need any persuasion and quickly followed behind. As they wound their way through throngs of people they received some curious glances from some of the guys, obviously wandering who they were and why they were on their boat._

 _Derek smiled as he located Meredith right at the front of the boat. Inserting himself right in front of her, effectively cutting off her conversation with the other girls, he held out his hand and smiled at her. "I'm Derek Shepherd."_

 _Meredith's eyebrows rose and she opened her mouth to reply but no sound came out. She was shocked at the sheer audacity of the man stood before her. "So?" she managed to get out eventually._

 _"So I didn't tell you earlier and I thought you should know" Derek smirked, pleased with his response._

 _"And why would I need to know that?" she asked, her interest piqued._

 _"Because I'm someone you need to get to know to love."_

 _Meredith quirked an eyebrow. "Really? So if I know you I'll love you?"_

 _"Oh yes" Derek smiled._

 _Meredith couldn't help but giggle, which caused Derek's smile to widen further. "You really like yourself huh?"_

 _Derek joined her in laughter but then turned serious as his gaze caught hers. "Go out with me?"_

 _"What? …No!" Meredith stuttered surprised. She didn't date guys – that wasn't how she did things._

 _Before Derek had a chance to reply, he was interrupted by a guy shouting at him from across the deck. "Hey! This party is invitation only!"_

 _"Sorry – we're going!" Derek called back, holding his hand up in apology. Glancing at Meredith he smiled as he turned and climbed up and over the railings on the bow, taking his feet off the ridge so he was just holding on with his hands. It was a sizeable yacht and he gulped slightly as he looked down and saw just how big of a drop it was to the water._

 _"Derek, what are you doing?! Get down - you're gunna hurt yourself!" Meredith called out._

 _"You won't go out with me?"_

 _"No!"_

 _"Why not?"_

 _"Because I don't want to!" Meredith repeated. That was a lie – she did want to, she just didn't know how. That and she wanted to wipe some of the smugness off his face._

 _"Oh...well then you leave me no other choice" he replied with a pout. Taking one hand off the railing he dangled precariously off the yacht, causing Lexie to gasp and even Mark looked shocked. He was a grown man of 22 and a future doctor – he was pretty sure if the admissions department at Washington could see him now they'd be questioning their decision to offer him a place, but he didn't care – he needed to get Meredith to go out with him._

 _"Derek!" Meredith snapped, covering her mouth with her hand._

 _"I'm gunna ask you one more time – will you go out with me?"_

 _"Ah, go out with him!" Mark interjected, not having seen his best friend be this much of an idiot over a girl before so he must have it bad._

 _"My hand's slipping…" Derek added, looking dubiously down at the water._

 _"Alright, alright - I'll go out with you!" Meredith yelled._

 _"Don't do me any favours"_

 _"No! I want to – I want to go out with you!"_

 _"You do?"_

 _"Yes!"_

 _Derek grinned widely at her through the railings. "Say it again."_

 _"I want to go out with you!"_

 _Derek smirked as he easily pulled himself back up and onto the yacht. "Alright, if you insist – we'll go out."_

 _Meredith looked in amused disbelief at the cocky man in front of her. "You think you're so smart don't you?"_

 _Derek laughed, sensing that she wasn't as annoyed as she was trying to portray. Reaching his hand up he cupped her cheek affectionately and sent her one last smile before climbing off the boat with Mark. He had a feeling that this was the start of something big._

 **AN: So I'm guessing you've guessed the movie now?! ;) As I said though, it will 'loosely' follow the plot, not exactly and will have a MerDer twist! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think and if you'd like to read more - I'd love to hear your thoughts :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you so much for your lovely reviews, favourites and follows for chapter 1 - I'm glad you're liking it :) Big thanks to Patsy for being my first reviewer! Congrats to everyone who guessed 'The Notebook' :) Here's the next chapter – hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think!**

 **(As before, italics = 1989, normal text = 2057)**

Chapter 2:

"So did she go out with him?"

Derek smiled warmly at her, his eyes sparkling with affection as he looked up from the notebook. He had her undivided attention - she was totally captivated by the story. "Well let's find out shall we?" He smiled at her once more before turning the page and continuing to read…

 _A couple of days later Derek was walking down the high street with Mark, having just been to a Mariners game. Mark was talking but Derek had no idea what he was saying, his mind ever since carnival had been filled with thoughts of the intriguing girl with honey blonde hair and beautiful emerald green eyes. One thing Mark said however did grab his attention and cause his head to snap up._

 _"_ _Is that the girl you were hanging off the end of a boat for?"_

 _Derek followed Mark's gaze and a huge grin lit up his face as he saw the object of his thoughts a few metres ahead of them on the other side of the street. Without another word to Mark, Derek jogged across the road to catch up with her. "Meredith" he breathed happily, her name sounding like a prayer on his lips. His smile widened as she stopped and turned to look at him, green meeting blue once more. "Do you remember me?"_

 _Meredith quirked an eyebrow at him, an amused smile tugging at her lips. He was persistent she had to give him that. "Yeah, sure – Captain Shepherd, how could I forget?"_

 _A blush coloured Derek's cheeks and he laughed nervously, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I wanted to clear that up with you – I know that was a really stupid thing to do…and I don't usually hang off the end of boats, but I just had to talk to you, be near to you – you…you were like coming up for fresh air."_

 _"_ _Wow, do you use that line on all the girls?" Meredith teased._

 _"_ _No" Derek replied seriously. It wasn't a line – it was the truth. He'd never felt strongly enough about anyone before to say things like that to them, and after meeting Meredith he doubted very much that he ever would again._

 _A smile began to form on Meredith's face as she studied him. He seemed genuinely sincere and it caused a weird fluttery feeling in her stomach. She wasn't about to give in that easily though._

 _Derek noticed the conflicting play of emotions on her face and rushed to continue. "What are you doing tonight?"_

 _"_ _What?" Meredith frowned._

 _"_ _Or tomorrow night, or the weekend?"_

 _"Why?"_

 _Derek frowned. "Why?...our date!"_

 _"_ _What date?" Meredith teased, knowing full well what he was referring to._

 _"_ _The date you agreed to."_

 _"_ _No"_

 _"_ _Yes you did, you promised."_

 _"_ _Well then I guess I changed my mind" Meredith smirked and gave him a teasing look as she stepped past him and continued walking down the street._

 _Derek took a couple of strides to catch up to her, slipping in front of her to block her path. He sighed and tilted his head as he looked at her – the sight of her taking his breath away once more. "Look, I know you don't know me, but I know me…and when I see something that I like, I can't give up – I go crazy for it."_

 _Meredith giggled. "What are you talking about?"_

 _Derek didn't blink as he looked her in the eyes. "You."_

 _Meredith's jaw dropped slightly at his reply before she collected herself. A stray curl fell over his forehead and she itched to reach up and brush it away, but she stopped herself. "Oh you're good – you are really good" she smiled, breaking out into more giggles. "You're fantastic - I'm impressed."_

 _Derek laughed along with her. "You're getting me all wrong, I'm not usually like this."_

 _"_ _Seriously?"_

 _"_ _Seriously…I can be fun, charming, smart - I'm going to be a doctor you know and doctors are smart, romantic…I can be whatever you want. You just tell me what you want and I'll be that for you." His eyes darkened as he gazed at her intensely._

 _Meredith rolled her eyes, although her amusement was evident. "You're cheesy."_

 _"_ _I can be that." Derek replied, his eyes twinkling._

 _Meredith snorted and grinned widely as she stepped round him and walked over to her jeep._

 _"_ _Oh come on, one date?" Derek called after her. "You know I almost died at carnival – how would you feel if I died and you didn't get a chance to go out with me?" he added, putting particular emphasis on 'me'._

 _Meredith turned back around as she pulled open her door and gave him a full on smile this time. "Mmmm…I don't think so" she teased._

 _"_ _What can I do to change your mind?"_

 _"I guess you'll figure something out."_

 _/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /_

 _"_ _Are you sure she's gunna be here?" Derek asked nervously as him and Mark crossed over the road towards the movie theatre._

 _"_ _Relax Shep, she'll be here" Mark assured him, clapping him on the shoulder._

 _"_ _What are we watching anyway?" Derek asked, trying to calm his nerves._

 _"_ _When Harry met Sally" Mark chuckled at Derek's dubious look. "Take a girl to a chick flick and she's guaranteed to be putty in your hands" he added with a smirk. "Have I taught you nothing?!"_

 _Derek didn't get chance to reply though as Lexie's voice interrupted his thoughts._

 _"_ _Oh my gosh, what a coincidence!"_

 _Meredith gave her an incredulous look, knowing full well this was not a coincidence but rather a total set up. "Coincidence huh?"_

 _Lexie ignored her sister's sarcasm and smiled widely at her and the boys. "Mere, you remember Derek don't you?" With that, Lexie left her to it and practically launched herself at Mark, kissing him deeply as if her and Derek weren't even there._

 _"_ _Hi" Derek said shyly._

 _"_ _Hi"_

 _Derek smiled and held out his hand to her. "It's nice to see you again."_

 _Meredith returned his smile and took his offered hand. She gasped at the jolt of electricity she felt as their hands met. "You too."_

 _Derek couldn't keep the smile off his face at being near to her again. "You look beautiful" he sighed. She looked amazing – every time he saw her he was sure she looked more and more beautiful._

 _Meredith blushed and felt herself heating up from the intensity in his gaze. "Thank you" she replied shyly, not used to receiving such comments from men. She was used to guys calling her 'hot' or 'sexy', but never 'beautiful' – it was different, but a different she was coming to like._

 _"_ _You do look beautiful" Mark interrupted, laying on his boyish charm, "Lexie looks beautiful, I know I look beautiful, even Derek here looks beautiful" he added, throwing his arm around his friend's shoulder and causing the two girls to giggle, "so can we please go and see this movie – the show's about to start?"_

 _As Lexie took Mark's arm and the two headed inside, Derek smiled at Meredith. "After you."_

 _Inside the theatre, the seating arrangements were not to Derek's liking. He was sat next to Mark, who was sat next to Lexie, with Meredith on the other end. He lived with Mark, he was with him all the time – he didn't need to sit next to him at the movies as well. Twenty minutes into the movie, which was not exactly to his tastes either, he looked to his right to find Mark and Lexie engaged in a heavy make out session. He chuckled slightly as he noticed Meredith looked equally uncomfortable watching her younger sister making out next to her._

 _Deciding there was no way he could sit through Mark's heavy breathing as well as a chick flick for another two hours, he climbed over the back of his chair, ducking to avoid blocking the screen as he made his way along the row, and swung himself down into the seat next to Meredith's. Meredith wasn't at all surprised by his change in seating, she was actually wandering how long it was going to take him, and she couldn't fight the smile that covered her face as he grinned triumphantly at her._

 _Mark and Lexie, oblivious to the world around them, knocked into Meredith and caused some of her popcorn to spill out onto her lap. Derek leaned forward and chuckled at his best friend – he was well used to Mark's 'appetite' when it came to women. He looked back at Meredith with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a tilt of his head that said 'if you can't beat them, why not join them?' Meredith quirked her eyebrow at him in a look that said 'don't even think about it'. Her seriousness was ruined however when she giggled, causing Derek to laugh too. Offering him some of her popcorn she slid down in her seat and turned her attention back to the movie._

 _Derek had a vague idea of what was going on in the movie – standard chick flick fare – boy meets girl (as described in the title), but he doubted he could be relied upon to give a detailed synopsis as he was spending most of his time sneaking glances at Meredith every chance he got. Taking a deep breath for courage, he decided to risk being slapped and as subtly as possible he stretched his arm across the back of her chair, his hand resting millimetres from her shoulder. Meredith bit back a smile at his move and instead of glaring at him, leaned into him, feeling his hand come to rest on her arm, the warmth of his skin seeping into every cell in her body._

 _With his arm around Meredith and her head rested on his shoulder, Derek was paying even less attention to the movie than he had been previously, instead just savouring the feeling of being so close to the girl who hadn't left his thoughts since the moment they met. However, one particular scene did capture his attention, as it did Meredith's. His jaw dropped a little as he watched a woman, presumably Sally, start to moan and gasp - loudly and throw her head back in pleasure in the middle of a restaurant – for quite some time. He shifted in his seat and crossed one leg over the other in an attempt to disguise the discomfort he was now feeling in his lower body. Closing his eyes he attempted to ward off the many x-rated thoughts, involving him causing Meredith to make similar noises, that had now invaded his brain._

 _Derek opened his eyes and looked down as he felt Meredith shaking lightly against him and realised she had noticed his predicament and was laughing at him. He nudged her gently in response, which only served to make her laugh more. Seeing her smile and making her laugh was totally worth the slight embarrassment he was feeling though and he pulled her tighter against him._

 _/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /_

 _As they left the theatre, Derek shook his head in amusement as he heard Lexie ask Mark, 'so what happened in that movie?'. As the two of them climbed into Mark's car, Derek leaned over to Meredith and murmured softly in her ear, "take a walk with me?" He was half expecting her to knock him back again but when she looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on, he almost thought he was imagining it when she whispered "ok."_

 _"_ _What's going on?" Mark called over to them, wandering why they hadn't gotten in._

 _"_ _We're gunna take a walk" Derek told him._

 _Mark beamed at him like a proud father. "Look after him Big Grey" he added, winking at Meredith._

 _"_ _Big Grey?" Meredith asked, somewhat confused._

 _Mark shrugged, as if it were obvious. "Lexie's Little Grey, which makes you Big Grey."_

 _Meredith laughed in amusement at Mark's reasoning. Lexie leaned out of the car to hug her sister and smirked at her, knowing that Meredith liked Derek all along and that she'd give in eventually. Meredith rolled her eyes, knowing what Lexie was thinking but she couldn't control the smile that tugged at her lips as she turned back to Derek and took the arm he offered her._

 _"_ _So how are you finding Seattle?" Derek asked as they strolled down the street towards Elliott Bay._

 _"_ _I love Seattle" Meredith replied smiling, "although I'm not really new – I lived here til I was 5. We moved to Boston right after my Dad left." Derek nodded, taking in the new information but didn't interrupt. "This is really the only place I've got any happy childhood memories…my mom's married to her job so me and Lexie pretty much raised ourselves in Boston."_

 _Meredith may have sounded like she wasn't bothered but Derek didn't miss the look of hurt that flashed across her eyes. "So you and your mom don't really get on then?" he asked tentatively._

 _Meredith laughed humourlessly. "In the small amount of time I actually see her, we don't exactly see eye to eye. My mother's only interested in people who are unconscious on an OR table needing to be cut open. You know I'm not actually sure why she even had me and Lexie." She blushed as Derek gave her a sympathetic look. "I have a tendency to ramble – you need to stop me."_

 _Derek laughed, "I like your rambling – I think it's cute. And I like getting to know you." He smiled at her but then a thought struck him. "Wait, Grey…is your mother Ellis Grey?"_

 _"_ _The one and only" Meredith sighed._

 _"_ _So I take it her mothering skills aren't on par with her surgical skills?"_

 _"Not really" Meredith told him, "although I'll be free of her soon."_

 _"_ _You will?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, me and Lexie are going to Dartmouth in the fall."_

 _Derek felt his heart drop – in a couple of months they'd be on different coasts and already that was an idea that he found unbearable. "Oh."_

 _Meredith looked at him curiously as his gaze dropped and she heard the obvious disappointment in his voice. Feeling the need to explain she continued, "My mom's wanted to be Chief of Surgery since she was an intern so when she was offered the position at Mercy West to start when their current Chief retired, she jumped at the chance. She told us she'd be moving here a year ago when we were applying for college, so we thought having a few thousand miles between us and her would be best for everyone."_

 _"_ _Isn't Lexie only 17?" Derek asked, changing the subject and trying to distract himself from the disappointment he was feeling at knowing she wasn't going to be in Seattle for very long._

 _Meredith smiled and rolled her eyes, having had this conversation many a time. "She is but she skipped third grade, and we've been in the same grade ever since. She has a photographic memory, which is great for tests but sucks when she uses it to bring up things I may or may not have lied about years ago."_

 _Derek couldn't help but laugh at the way she scrunched up her nose – it was adorable. As he tilted his head and really looked at her, he decided he wasn't going to think about what would happen when she left, he was going to make the most of every moment he could get with her. "Come on." Grabbing her hand he started jogging around the corner to the bay._

 _"Where are we going?" Meredith asked, having to quicken her pace to keep up with him due to having shorter legs._

 _"_ _You'll see."Derek turned his head and winked at her. "We should just have enough time."_

 _"Enough time for what?"_

 _Derek didn't answer her but stopped and smiled when they reached the ferry terminal, Meredith almost crashing into the back of him. "Made it."_

 _Meredith frowned in confusion. "We're going on a ferry boat?"_

 _Derek turned to face her, keeping her hand tucked safely in his. "We are. I have a thing for ferry boats" he told her, his eyes shining with happiness and excitement in the moonlight._

 _Meredith giggled. "You have a thing for ferry boats?"_

 _"_ _I do. It's very intense, this thing I have…for ferry boats I mean."_

 _As Derek's gaze locked with hers, Meredith felt a tingle run down her spine as she watched his irises change from cerulean to a deep navy. "Well what are we waiting for then?"_

 _Derek grinned as Meredith smiled and this time she was the one to pull him along as she led them onto the boat. As it was the last outbound ferry to Bainbridge Island for the night there were relatively few people on board and they found themselves alone but for each other up on deck._

 _"_ _Come on, I want to show you something." Still holding her hand, which he was surprised but grateful that she hadn't let go of, he led her to the front of the boat. Smiling, he reluctantly let go of her hand and lay down on the deck, placing his hands behind his head._

 _"_ _What are you doing?" Meredith giggled, torn between being confused and amused._

 _"_ _I'm watching the stars" Derek told her. "You know you could always join me."_

 _Meredith regarded him curiously for a moment before throwing caution to the wind and lying down next to him. "So what are we looking at?" she asked as she stared up at the millions of tiny sparkly lights flickering in the night sky._

 _"_ _Well that cluster of stars over there that looks like a wheelbarrow…" Derek replied, gesturing at an area of the sky, "that's the Big Dipper." Pointing to another group of stars he continued, "And that cluster over there – the one that looks like a broken leg…" Meredith giggled at his description. "That's Cassiopeia."_

 _"_ _Really?" she asked, impressed._

 _"_ _No idea – it could be." Derek replied._

 _Meredith snorted, which turned into a full on laugh as she turned on her side to look at him. "Seriously?"_

 _The sound of her laughter was quickly becoming one of his favourite sounds and he couldn't help but smile at being the cause of it. "I'm kidding – they actually are."_

 _"_ _So how do you know this stuff" she asked, returning her attention back to the sky._

 _"_ _I was a geek in high school."_

 _"_ _Oh so you were that kid" Meredith smiled, "the president of all the dorky clubs."_

 _Derek looked at her with a mock hurt expression but then chuckled. "Pretty much. Were you one of the cool kids who all the football team wanted to date?"_

 _Meredith scoffed. "Hardly. I was the angry, rebellious kid - I've only just gotten rid of the pink hair. I wouldn't have been seen dead with the cheerleaders…or in astronomy club" she added with a smirk._

 _"_ _I think you would have made an exception for me"_

 _"_ _Really?" Meredith quirked an eyebrow in amusement._

 _"_ _Oh yes" Derek replied, causing Meredith to giggle again. "Oh and the pink hair – hot! You'll have to show me pictures."_

 _Meredith grinned, which turned into a laugh when he pouted. "Not a chance."_

 _They stayed that way for the rest of the journey, laying together whilst laughing and joking, and as the ferry neared Bainbridge it seemed like no time at all had passed. So caught up were they in their conversation that when the horn sounded to announce their imminent arrival, Meredith jumped a foot in the air and landed half on top of Derek, not that he minded. The stunned look on her face caused him to burst out laughing as he wrapped one arm around her waist._

 _"_ _Shut up" Meredith chided, slapping him lightly on the chest. "There aren't many ferry boats in Boston – I haven't been on one in a while." She couldn't keep the stern look on her face though as his laughter was infectious._

 _Using his chest for leverage she pushed herself up and held her hand out to help him up. "So where to now?"_

 _Derek smiled at her as they disembarked the ferry. "I know a place."_

 _Once back on dry land, Derek held out his hand to her with a hopeful look on his face. Meredith looked at his hand for just a moment before interlacing her fingers with his – a small but significant gesture for the girl who didn't let anyone get close to her._

 _Fifteen minutes later they were stood at the top of a small clifftop that overlooked the bay and had a perfect view of the ferry boats and the moonlight glistening off the water. "Wow" Meredith sighed._

 _"_ _I know – pretty amazing huh?"_

 _"_ _Yeah."_

 _Derek shrugged of his jacket and lay it on the ground before gesturing for her to have a seat. With a smile she sat down on his jacket and stretched her legs out in front of her. Derek hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow his heart – taking a seat behind her, he stretched his legs out along hers so her back was to his chest. When she didn't pull away he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her to him, resting his head atop hers. He couldn't see it but Meredith was smiling._

 _"_ _So apart from being a geek in high school, what makes you you Derek? Tell me about yourself – I want to know you."_

 _Derek could have sworn his heart skipped a beat at those last five words and he unconsciously pulled her tighter against him. "OK…well, my mother's maiden name, Maloney. I have four sisters. I have, uh, two nieces, one nephew. I like coffee ice cream, single-malt scotch, occasionally a good cigar. I like to fly fish. And I cheat when I do the crossword puzzle on Sunday. And I never dance in public. Um, favourite novel, The Sun Also Rises. Favourite band, The Clash. My favourite colour is blue. I don't like light blue, indigo. The scar right here on my forehead, that's why I don't ride motorcycles anymore…"_

 _He told her all the little details he could think of that would help her get to know him better. As he regaled her with tails of him and Mark as children and through to their college days, she laughed along with him, and when he explained how he'd watched his father die in his arms at ten years old, she placed her hands over his in support. When she leaned her head back into the crook of his neck, into a space that seemed to have been created just for her, he placed a kiss on the top of her head in a gesture that was more touching and intimate than anything either of them had ever experienced before. It was in that exact moment that they both thought how incredibly right it felt to be in each other's arms._

"Meredith and Derek, unbeknownst to them at the time, were on the brink of one of the most extraordinary experiences two people can share in life."

"They fell in love didn't they" the woman guessed happily.

Derek smiled. "Yes they did."

"Good, I like this kind of story. Go on."

 **AN: so there's chapter 2 – hope you liked it :) I'd love to hear your thoughts – reviews make my day! See you soon for chapter 3 :)**


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